influence of music on the serpents seems to be universally assumed
as a part of the professional snake-charmer's success. The ancient
Psylli who were employed to prevent the Roman camp from being troubled
with venomous serpents, marched around it, chanting mystic songs.[195]
Johnson describes the very clever snake-catchers of India as pretending
to draw them from their holes by a song, and by playing a plaintive tune
on an instrument somewhat resembling an Irish bagpipe.[196] He says,
indeed, that this is all delusion; but Forbes, in his "Oriental
Memoirs," allows its reality. A learned native of India assured Sir
William Jones that he had frequently seen the most venomous and
malignant snakes leave their holes upon hearing notes from a flute,
which, as he supposed, gave them peculiar delight.

The Egyptian snake-charmer assumes an air of mystery, strikes the walls
with a short palm-stick, whistles, makes a clucking noise with his
tongue, and says, "I adjure you, by God, if ye be above, or if ye be
below, that ye come forth; I adjure you by the most great Name, if ye be
obedient, come forth, and if ye be disobedient, die, die, die!"[197] The
late Dr W. A. Bromfield, in some extracts from his letters published in
the _Zoologist_,[198] confirms this:--"The chief actor was a
fine-looking man, with a handsome and intelligent, but peculiar cast of
countenance. He carried a stick in his hand, with which, on entering
each apartment, he struck the wall several times, uttering, in a low,
measured tone, a form of exorcism in Arabic; adjuring and commanding the
serpent--which he declared, immediately on the door being thrown open,
was lurking in the walls or ceiling--to come forth. Presently, the
reptile would be seen emerging from some hole or corner, with which
every room, even in the better class of Egyptian houses, abounds; on
which the enchanter would draw the unwilling serpent towards him, with
the point of the stick, and when within reach put it in the bag he
carried about with him for that purpose."

Chateaubriand has drawn a graphic picture of the power of music on the
American Rattlesnake. The serpent happening to enter the encampment of
his party in Canada, a Canadian who could play on the flute, advanced,
by way of diversion, with his magic pipe, against it. On his approach
the haughty reptile curled itself into a spiral line, flattened its
head, inflated its cheeks, contracted its lips, displayed its envenomed
fangs,